Overview: There are many iPhone users who are complaining that their iPhone contacts have disappeared from their phone. If your contacts have also disappeared from your iPhone and you eagerly wanted to recover them then you have visited the right page. This guide will summarize you to recover disappeared contacts from iPhone.
- Solution 1: Turn On And Off Contacts In iCloud
- Solution 2: Reset Network Settings
- Solution 3: Go To Contacts Group Settings
- Solution 4: Change Default Account In Setting To iCloud
- Solution 5: Retrieve Disappeared Contacts From iPhone Via Messaging App
- Solution 6: Sign Out Of iCloud And Sign In Again
- Solution 7: Retrieve Disappeared Contacts From Email Account
- Solution 8: Restore Disappeared iPhone Contacts From iTunes Backup
- Solution 9: Restore iPhone Contacts From iCloud Backup
- Solution 10: Recover Disappeared Contacts From iPhone Without Backup
- Tips To Remember: Sync Your iPhone Contacts In Google Account
Recommended Solution: One of the easiest ways to recover disappeared contacts from iPhone is to use iOS Data Recovery software which is a reliable iPhone Contacts Recovery tool.
With the help of iPhone Data Recovery, you can:
- Retrieve disappeared/lost/missing/deleted/erased contacts from iPhone without backup.
- Extract various types of data like photos, call logs, videos, reminders, notes, audios, and many more.
- Retrieve contacts and other files from various scenarios such as mistaken deletion, virus and malware attacks, water damaged, broken/damaged/crashed iPhone, system crashed, jailbreaking, factory reset, etc.
- Allow the preview option before recovery.
- 100% safe, secure, and user’s friendly.
Free Download Trial Version/Buy Now iOS Data Recovery To Recover Disappeared Contacts From iPhone
Before you know the reasons why your iPhone contacts disappeared and how to retrieve them. You should first check out some practical scenarios.
Practical Scenario 1: An iPhone User Want To Recover Disappeared Contacts
How do I recover my Contacts that disappeared today after installing the iOS 14.3 upgrade?
Source: Apple Support Community
Practical Scenario 2: An iPhone User’s All Contacts Have Disappeared
All my contacts have disappeared from my iphone. I have tried to follow the various suggestions to retrieve them but have not been successful.
[Re-Titled by Moderator]
Source: Apple Support Community
So, these are two practical scenarios. Like them, many users are also going through this problem. So, let’s know the reasons behind the disappearance of contacts from the iPhone.
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Reasons: Why iPhone Contacts Disappeared?
There are some reasons due to which your iPhone contacts can disappear. Below I have mentioned some of the reasons.
- When you update your iPhone to the latest iOS version or downgrade to earlier iOS then your contacts can disappear. It happens mostly because contacts are not synced back with iCloud and some issues occur during updating or upgrading process.
- Sometimes contacts disappeared after jailbreaking the iPhone.
- iTunes problem or iPhone system issue can also cause this problem.
- Accidentally you delete your contacts.
- When you factory reset your iPhone then all contacts with other data get deleted.
- Virus and malware infection can also be responsible for missing contacts.
- When your iPhone gets water damaged or falls from extent height.
- Many times users are unable to find the reasons for the disappearance of contacts and the reason remains a mystery.
So, these are reasons behind the disappearance of contacts. And your contacts have also disappeared due to any one of the above reasons. But you don’t need to panic as there are some solutions that will help you to recover disappeared contacts from iPhone.
Solution 1: Turn On And Off Contacts In iCloud
If your Contacts app has stopped syncing with iCloud then your contacts can disappear. So, to recover the missing contacts you can turn on and then turn off contacts in iCloud. But remember this will only work if your contacts have been synced to iCloud.
Here, follow the steps to turn on and turn off contacts in iCloud to retrieve disappeared contacts from iPhone.
Step 1: On your iPhone, open the Settings app and then tap on iCloud. Or go to Settings > Your User Name > iCloud (for iOS 11 and later version).
Step 2: Now, find “Contacts” from the list and toggle the switch to on position if it is turned off. When you are asked then tell iCloud to “Replace your Contacts”. If it is already “On” then turn it “Off” and then “On” again.
Step 3: If asked, choose “Delete from My iPhone”. You don’t need to worry as your contacts are still in iCloud and they will be back on your device.
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Solution 2: Reset Network Settings
You can also reset the network settings to get your iPhone contacts back. Don’t Worry! This will not delete your iPhone data and apps. This solution can also work when you can’t make and receive calls.
Below, follow the steps to reset network settings to get back disappeared contacts from iPhone.
Step 1: On your iPhone, go to Settings > General > Reset > Reset Network Settings.
Step 2: If asked to enter your passcode then just enter it.
Step 3: Now, you can see a warning message that this action will delete all your network settings. Proceed by selecting “Reset Network Settings”.
Now, check your disappeared contacts recovered or not.
Solution 3: Go To Contacts Group Settings
If your contacts have not been deleted from your iPhone and they just get disappeared then you can easily get them back from Contacts Group Settings.
Note: This solution will not work if your contacts have been deleted from your device.
Here, follow the steps to do so.
Step 1: Open your Contacts app. Tap on Groups on your contacts page.
Step 2: After this, select “All on My iPhone” in place of “All iCloud”.
Now, see the disappeared contacts have come back or not.
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Solution 4: Change Default Account In Setting To iCloud
If you have previously set the default account as Gmail then you can change it to iCloud to recover missing contacts.
Note: You can’t use this method if your iPhone is running on iOS 11 because Apple has canceled the function of the default account in contacts’ settings.
Here, learn the steps to Change Default Account in Settings Back to iCloud.
Step 1: On your iPhone, launch the Settings app.
Step 2: Then, hit on Mail, Contacts, Calendars. Under Contacts tap on Default Account.
Step 3: Choose iCloud in place of On my iPhone as the default account.
Solution 5: Retrieve Disappeared Contacts From iPhone Via Messaging App
You can recover some disappeared iPhone contacts from the messaging app. If you have done conversations with those contacts and you remembered that person’s name with that chat then from there you can get those contacts back.
You can use WhatsApp, Viber, etc. for this.
Here I have shown the steps to recover contacts from iPhone using the Messages app. For this, you must remember the name of that person and you have sent or received at least one message.
Note: iPhone manages your Contacts and Messages separately so, if your contacts have been deleted then still it will be saved on the Messages app if you have done conversations with them.
Follow the below steps to do so.
Step 1: On your iPhone, open the iPhone Messages app and then enter the name of the contact.
Step 2: Now, the conversation will pop-up.
Step 3: Click on the contact icon and then on the audio symbol. Now, the phone number of that person will appear. From here, you can easily save that number in your Contacts app.
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Solution 6: Sign Out Of iCloud And Sign In Again
You can also get your iPhone Contacts back by signing out from iCloud and then sign in again.
Here, follow the steps to sign out from iCloud and then sign in again to get back disappeared iPhone contacts.
Step 1: Go to Settings > Your name and then scroll down and tap on Sing Out.
Step 2: Press in Apple details and tap on “Turn Off”.
Step 3: After that, go to “Contacts” and then press “Sign Out”.
Step 4: Confirm your action you again pressing on “Sign Out”.
After this, sign in again and check the disappeared contacts are recovered or not.
Solution 7: Retrieve Disappeared Contacts From Email Account
You can also use your emails account to recover the missing contacts. If you have deleted your email account then contacts might also get deleted.
So, you can add your email account again and then open the Contacts function. This will help you to recover your disappeared iPhone contacts.
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Solution 8: Restore Disappeared iPhone Contacts From iTunes Backup
If you have backup your iPhone to iTunes then you can easily restore the disappeared contacts. But remember that this solution will overwrite the existing data.
However, follow the below steps to restore disappeared contacts from iPhone using iTunes backup.
Step 1: Launch iTunes on your computer and then use a USB cable to connect your iPhone with it.
Step 2: Choose your iPhone icon and then go to Summary page.
Step 3: Now, click on “Restore Backup”.
Step 4: Choose the backup file by looking at its date and size.
Step 5: After this, click on “Restore” to restore missing contacts.
When the restore process gets completed, your disappeared contacts with other data stored on that backup file will be restored on your iPhone.
Solution 9: Restore iPhone Contacts From iCloud Backup
Like iTunes, if you have created a backup of iPhone contacts to iCloud then you can easily restore them.
Note: Before restoring the iCloud backup, you need to factory reset your iPhone. So, you should create a backup of all important data and then follow the restore steps.
Below, learn how to restore iPhone contacts from iCloud backup.
Step 1: On your iPhone, go to Settings > General > Reset > Erase Contents and Settings and then tap on “Erase Now”.
Step 2: Now, your device will restart. After this, set up your iPhone. When you reach Apps & Data screen, select “Restore from iCloud Backup”.
Step 3: Next, login to your iCloud account using the same Apple ID and password.
Step 4: Now, you will see a list of backup files. Choose the relevant backup file and then restoring process will start.
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Solution 10: Recover Disappeared Contacts From iPhone Without Backup
If you have not got the disappeared contacts from the above solutions or if you have not created any backup of iPhone contacts then you can use iPhone Contacts Recovery software to retrieve disappeared contacts from iPhone without backup.
Download/Buy Now iPhone Data Recovery Tool For Windows or Mac Now To Recover Disappeared Contacts From iPhone
You can use iPhone Data Recovery tool to restore iTunes or iCloud backup without data loss and also if you want to only recover contacts then you can easily do this.
Note: Please don’t add any new files on your iPhone after the deletion because this will overwrite the existing data which will lose the chance of successful iPhone contacts recovery.
Below, is the full guide on how to recover disappeared iPhone contacts without backup using iPhone Contacts Recovery software. Just follow them.
Steps To Retrieve Disappeared Contacts From iPhone
Step 1: Choose Smart Recovery Mode
Download and launch iPhone Data Recovery software on your computer.
Then from “Smart Recovery” tab, you need to click on “Start” button.
Step 2: Select The Reason How You Lost The Data
After that select the reason behind the deletion of data from your phone for subsequent scan and recovery.
Step 3: Scan And Retrieve Deleted Data
Now, the software will automatically scan and do all works. iPhone Data Recovery tool can scan and retrieve your files from iOS device, iCloud backup, or iTunes Backup. The process is the same as “recover data from iOS device/iCloud backup or iTunes backup” tabs. The steps to recover lost data is very simple and easy.
For more modes to recover disappeared contacts from iPhone, please check out this – iOS Data Recovery User Guide Page.
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Tips To Remember: Sync Your iPhone Contacts In Google Account
You should always sync your iPhone contacts in your Google account so that if your contacts disappeared or get deleted from your iPhone then you can get them back using your Google account.
You can also create a backup of iPhone contacts and other data in iTunes or iCloud.
Bottom Line
I know Contacts play a very vital role in our daily life and when it gets disappeared then it disturbs most of our work. But you don’t need to worry as there are some solutions that I have discussed above, will help you to recover disappeared contacts from iPhone.
Among all the solutions iPhone Data Recovery is best to retrieve disappeared/deleted iPhone contacts with or without backup.

Jasper Madison is a passionate technical writer with more than 9 years of experience. She has a keen interest in Android and iOS and everything surrounding it. She is a technology enthusiast and fascinated with technology since her childhood days.